Theatre Smith-Gilmour, the Toronto company celebrated for adapting stories of Chekhov for the stage, conjures four short stories by Katherine Mansfield with the world premiere, The Mansfield Project, March 15.

The new work was created by Dean Gilmour and Michelle Smith, in collaboration with the Dora Award-winning company's members, and will be presented in association with Factory Theatre March 15-April 13 in Toronto.

The cast includes Gilmour, Smith, Claire Calnan and Adam Paolozza.

Gilmour and Smith direct, with costumes designed by Andjelija Djuric and lighting designed by Kimberly Purtell.

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"After a celebrated eight-year exploration into the world of Anton Chekhov, Theatre Smith-Gilmour once again embraces the world of a writer through their short stories with the world premiere of The Mansfield Project," according to production notes. "A contemporary of D.H. Lawrence, New Zealand-born Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923) was considered one of the best short story writers of her period and was the only writer Virginia Woolf admitted to ever being jealous of. Katherine Mansfield's mysterious and delicate worlds are full of passion, love, sexual awakening, innocence, longing, death and loss. She touches the heart and gives us a glimpse of the essence of life." Co-artistic director Dean Gilmour stated, "There is something about her approach to life that resonates for us. Like Chekhov, she captures the dance of life and death with the same unsentimental eye for essential detail."

Co-artistic director Michelle Smith stated, "Her passion for life intoxicates with images, scents and the tactile, like a garden in summer."

The four Mansfield stories to be adapted in Smith-Gilmour's "inimitable, visually arresting style" are "The Daughters of the Late Colonel," "Prelude," "Carnation" and "Six Years After."

Opening is March 18 at Factory's Studio Theatre, 125 Bathurst Street, Toronto. For more information call (416) 504-9971 or visit www.factorytheatre.ca or www.theatresmithgilmour.com.